


what greater gift than the love of a cat?

by bokutoma



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Au Ra Raen (Final Fantasy XIV), F/F, First Meetings, Love at First Sight, Miqo'te Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Original Character(s), Original Slash, POV Original Character, Patch 2.0: A Realm Reborn, she/they pronouns for miqo'te
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:27:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28482384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bokutoma/pseuds/bokutoma
Summary: a fateful meeting, and not just of the world-saving variety
Relationships: Azami Maibito/F'erris Amel, Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV)/Original Character(s), Warrior of Light/Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7





	what greater gift than the love of a cat?

**Author's Note:**

> mac. i love u. thanks for letting me do this lmao

Regardless of what Thancred might say, it's not in Erris's nature to be easily spooked or surprised.

That being said, he sure does have a way of making it happen.

The sight of him with an arm wrapped around a woman's shoulders is not a wholly unusual one; even in the brief time she has known him, she has discovered that distorting a reputation the size of his still leaves sizeable merit when clarified.

Besides, just because the Scions are immune to his supposed charms doesn't mean anyone else is.

Still, this woman (this _very pretty_ woman, they note with no small amount of trepidation) doesn't seem to be pressing against him; when the light catches her face, she does not even seem to be smiling.

"Oh, come now, Mistress Maibito!" Thancred's voice carries warmly through the halls of the Waking Sands, and Erris cannot help but shuffle closer to get a better view, her tail sweeping against her vacated table rhythmically. "That one was excellent, and you know it."

"I believe your intent was to... sweep me off my feet with your glorious prose, or something to that effect, correct? You have not yet succeeded, and we are at our destination. You lose."

"Damnation!" But Erris can hear the laughter in his voice, and they cannot help but wonder just who this Mistress Maibito is, to have so thoroughly charmed their friend in quite a different way than they are used to seeing.

"Just take me where you are supposed to, please," she says, and when Thancred starts to crack another joke, she levels a blank stare at him and watches him deflate.

They disappear into Minfilia's solarium for a time, and Erris, never one to sit still, begins to pace as she ponders who this pretty Au Ra might be.

They are not left to wonder long, and thank the Twelve for that - their lips are already cracked and chapped from chewing. Y'shtola returns from whatever death-defying mission Minfilia's inner circle finds themselves privy to, and with her, some possible answers.

But they have not taken more than a step when Minfilia's doors swing open and Thancred pokes his head out.

"We have a charming surprise for you!" he calls, and even if she doesn't know the full truth of it, Erris agrees wholeheartedly.

They file in with the contained chaos that Erris has come to expect from the Scions, Y'shtola proud, Yda and Papalymo bickering, and Urianger as stately as ever. When they take in the sight of Mistress Maibito, however, solemn-faced and as serene as a painting, each dons a smile of their own, and Erris wonders if she's missed something important or daydreamed through one of Urianger's informal status reports. _They_ all seem to know her significance, after all.

"What a pleasure it is to introduce you all to our newest recruit," Minfilia says, and Erris's mind goes blank as they lock eyes with Mistress Maibito. "It seems Thancred has a talent for finding Ul'dahn talent."

Minfilia begins the same introductory speech Erris herself has received, but being neither an Archon nor a member of long enough standing to have anything unique to add, she contents herself with studying this new Scion.

Au Ra are not a particularly common sight in Ul'dah, especially not the solitary Raen. There is something about the lavender curls of her hair, the faintly luminous gold of her eyes, and the rigid aureate scales that framed her like an ornamental headpiece that strikes her as particularly lovely; among a group composed almost entirely of Hyur and Miqo'te, these distinctive features fascinate them. She is shorter than even Y'shtola, but even beside Thancred, who should all but tower over her, she has a presence that makes them as equal.

Does anyone else notice this? Certainly they eye her as they had Erris upon their first meeting, but there seems to be no particular fascination in their eyes.

But Minfilia is finished now, her final words hanging in the air with a finality that she is so good at producing.

_I know not what it is you desire for yourself, nor what it was that first brought you to Eorzea, but I firmly believe that the power we possess was given to us for a purpose. Pray consider this when you give me your answer, Azami._

_Azami._

Perhaps the knowledge of her name should have quieted the curiosity in Erris's mind. Instead, all it does is create further questions, ones they long to answer with words spoken.

Azami Maibito, thus far all perfectly practiced formality, slides her gaze over to Thancred and _smiles,_ her face suddenly warm and alive with feeling as she says, "I will go whither the wild rose blooms."

Minfilia's face creases in confusion, but Thancred breaks into loud peals of laughter; it's at that moment that Erris feels two very distinctive emotions.

One: jealousy. Just as Thancred had found Azami, so too had he selected Erris. He's still the Scion they are closest to, and to see someone so easily formulate such a close bond with him makes them worry for the transience of their own.

(Yet even that is not everything. This is the first time Azami has smiled while in the Waking Sands. and the envy that chokes them does not let Thancred free either.)

But perhaps even more damning is two: adoration.

Azami Maibito greets each Scion in turn, and when it is Erris's, there is the ghost of that small smile still remaining, as if to torment them.

"It will be a pleasure to work with you, F'erris," Azami says, her voice soft. "We will have to dine together some time, and you can tell me all about the certainly legendary exploits you've had to be in so selective and true an organization."

Thancred and Y'shtola are both eyeing them, but Erris cannot bring herself to care. She has a dinner with this new Scion sometime in her future, and she'll be damned if she lets anything get in her way.

**Author's Note:**

> twitter: @kingblaiddyd


End file.
